Process of and apparatus for treating oils



C. B. BUERGER PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING OILS March l0, 1931.

1923 4 SheelS-Sheeil l Filed Feb. 23l

March 10, 1931. c. B. BUERGER 1,796,138

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING OILS Filed Feb. 23, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q Mczwcm O March l0, 1931. Q B BUERGER 1,796,138

PROCESS OF AND' APPARATUS FOR TREATING OILS Filed Feb. 25, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 gwvenfro'a.

1g La l M u W I L@ LJ March 10, 1931. Cl B BUERGER 'A l. 1,796,138

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATINO OILS Filed Feb. 25, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Mal-.1a 1931 UNITED STATEs'PATENT OFFICE I CHARLES IB. BUERGER, F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TOWGULF REFIN- ING- COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 0F TEXAS PROCESS 0F AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING OILS j pplicatpn led February 213, 1923. Serial No. 620,797.

This invention relates to processes of and apparatus for treating oils; and it has for its objects, among other things, cracking oil by Y heat in such manner as to utilize to a high de: gree the heat of generated vapors for heating incoming oil,to recirculate through the heating elements a large amount ofresidual oil with the incoming oil as Well as condensed vapors, to provide a time element for maximumcracking of the oil in the operation, to

provide for settlement and removal of heavy residual oils, tar and carbon with selective recirculation of the lighter oil, to provide for continuous operation and to operate under 1'5 such conditions' that deposit of carbon is minimized'in the direct heating elements, but is provided for at another point under. conditions allowing ready removal thereof.

It is anotherv object of the present inven- 0 tion to provide a cracking apparatus operating upon oil in the liquid state and capable of large capacity rate or daily output-and oty convenientoperation, such operation being susceptible of control so as to give a maximum yield of light oils anda minimum production of coke and gas.

Petroleum oils, like all. other bodies containing carbon and hydrogen, when exposed to a high temperature undergo destructive 39 distillation, that is, they break up with the production of gases and vapors and a residue rich in carbon, and a portion of the residue may be carbon itself in the form of coke. For many years, destructive distillation or cracking, as it is termed in the art, has been used for the purpose of producing lighter products of the nature of gasoline and kerosene from heavier oils ofless commercial value. Sometimes, the oils are heated or superheated in the liquid state forthe. purpose ofbreakimg them up and sometimes the vapors are so treated. In cracking liquid oils it is in general necessary to use pressure to retain them 45 in the liquid form, as the oils mostly .used for cracking, known in the trade'as gas-oil, solar ,oil and the like, boil between-500 F. and 700 F., while the temperature used for cracking is 7 00 F. or higher. Sometimes the pressure used in the still isalloWed/to extend through thef condenser'l which gives a larger direct yield of light products because ofthe greater scrubbing action of the condensates in contact with gases andvvapors under pressure. There is less loss of light oils as vapors going forward with uncondensed gases. The procedure, however, also has its Ainconvenience, since the oils coming from the conproducts, naphtha, kerosene and gasoline, re-

covered in the condenser; uncondensable gasesand vapors passing the condenser and generally used for heating purposes and a residue' of heavy oil. There is also always more or less coke or carbon produced'. In the operation, the effort is, of course, to obtain a maximum yield of the lightest-liquid products with as little cokel and gas as may be.

In one Way of looking at the operation of cracking oils in the liquid state, it is an evaporation operation: oils being boiled olf as vapors from a body of oil with the usual large demand for heat units incident to any vaporization. The operation is not, of course, altogether a simple evaporation, as regard must be taken -of the properties of liquids evaporating under pressure, ofthe chemical actions involved, and so on, and in particular, of the formation of coke and carboniza.-

tion products whichv tend to clog the heating surfaces, butin a generalway, itis analogous to distillation., I therefore arrange my a paratus so asto prov-"ide an economical elivery of the necessary heat units to the oil While providing also against clogging by solid or tarry products. Coke and tar once formed on or adhering to ya heating surface tend to bake on and form dense hard layers.

least tendency to the deposition of carbon. Later, after cracking begms, there is a greater tendency for. deposition of carbon and at this time the oil traverses tubes in a portion of the furnace of less temperature. No effort is made to secure a maximum cracking effect on the oil so circulated. On the contrary, I purposely restrict the cracking effect so that most of the original oil goes on uncracked, separate gases,.vapors and carbon from it and re-circulate the remaining oil.

According to my invention, I establish and maintain a major body of quiescent oil under heat and pressure, the temperature being suficient to produce cracking therein and this body of oil being hotter at its upperl levels than at its lower levels. I circulate a minor Siow of oil from and back to said body by tapping oli' at one point and returning at another point, `the circulation being through heating elements, such as tubes or the like, maintained at a relatively higher temperature than the major body of'oil. The return flow from the heating system is arranged so as not to disturb substantially the quiescence of the major body of oil and the iow through the heating elements is sulciently rapid to allow only a minor amount of cracking occur? tain in the tubes exposed to the highest temperature. The major body of oil can be, and is, maintained at the cracking temperature for the time requisite for the most eii'ective action without reference to the time occupied by the oil in transit through the hot tubes;

atime which is necessarily (and -advantageously) brief. As stated, I contemplate a rapid clrculation through the tubes.

Y Petroleum hydrocarbons to be cracked are heated, preferably in the formmf traveling streams, to cracking temperature and under pressure, but, as stated, the rate of travel is such that the oil is delivered from the heating elements before any great amount of cracking has taken place. The non-vaporized hydrocarbons from the heating elements are delivered into and below the level of a conned bodyot oil and any vapors are delivered above the level of such body, this being done under conditions allowing the said body to remain relatively quiescent. The body of oil is confined under conditions preventing any substantial lossL of heat units and there is a vapor space above this confined v body of oil, and as cracln'ng takes place, the

vapors from this body I/of oil, together with any vapor coming from the heating elements, are passed to a heat interchanger. In this heat interchanger, these va ors are scrubbed with fresh incoming oil o the character of,

the vapors in the heatl interchanger and thecondensate, together with the incoming oil, is fed to the heating means. The vapors from the reflux condenser are then passed through pressure releasing means and are brought down to atmospheric pressure. Then these vapors are passed through a second interchanging element and thence to a reiiux condenser, the condensate from the last mentioned reflux condenser passing to and through the interchanging element. Ther condensates from the two are then passed to cooling coils,.while the vapors passing to exit from the reiiux condenser are separately condensed in cooling coils or the like. Duringv this time, either continuously or intermit-V tently, the heavier underlying oil in the quiescent body and the tar and coke or car on which have settled at the bottom thereof, are withdrawn and, usually, sent through a tar cooler. Ordinarily, I seek to adjust conditions so that any given portion of oil is exposed to a cracking temperature for vabout eight hours; and I find `it advantageous to make the amount of oil circulated,that is going through the tubular heating system in a given time about twice the amount of oil entering the system as replenishing oil in the same space of time. In so doing, the amount of oils returning to the crackin system from the heat exchangerand there uX condenser as a result of scrubbing and heat interchange actions is usuallypabout equal to the amount of replenishing oil introduced. In other words, the amount in circulation in the henting tubes-at any given time is about equal to the total of' the replenishing oill and of the returned or reuxed oils coming back tol the cracking system at the same time; and I am able to secure a high velocity in the cracking tubes without increasing the amount of reflux unreasonably, with acceleration'of the cracking action in the major body of oil'and easy maintenance of cracking temperatures in such body. The invention comprisesalso certain details of construction. and methods of operation resulting in economical cracking and distillation and in a maximum yield of lower boiling hydrocarbons, as more fully hereinafter set forth and as claimed.

Referring to the drawings, i Fig. 1 is a view in elevation showing a complete installation under the present invention Fig. 2is a diagrammatic vertical sectional view through the tubularheater;

Fig. 3 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation, showing the intermediate settling chamber, heat interchanger tower, fractionating reflux tower, arid condenser-s; and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic vertical section through the tubular heater of Fig. 2 at right angles to the view of Fig. 2, illustrating the 'course of the oil through the tubes.

Referring to the drawings and first to .Fi 2, element 1 indicates structural steel work of an oil heating furnace supporting the b-rick wall 2 lined with fire brick 3. The furnace is divided into two combustion chambers 4 and 5 by bridge wall 6 and each combustion chamber is individually heated, asshown, by means of oil or oil and gas'burner 7. The bottom floors 8 of the combustion chambers are. provided with checkered re brick, or are otherwise perfor-ated, as shown, at 9, sov that in event of any ofthe tubes (hereinafter described) breaking or leaking, the oil drains out of the fire chamber and can be collected under its floor by conduit 10 and sent via traps 11 and line 12 to a point of safe collection. Air for combustion normally enters through these perforations in the floor. In case of fire, the doors 13 are dropped, preferably automatically by a fusible link, as shown,

.at 14, closing air ports 15, and firing is discontinued.' The roof 16 of the furnace is provided with a stack 17 for waste gases. Mounted Within the combustion chambers are the heating tubes 18 arranged in a number of horizontal tiers. As shown (see Fig. 4), there are two sets of these tube tiers, operating in parallel; the tubes of each tier however extending across both heating chambers and throughtheir dividing wall 19 (see Fig. 2). The number of such tube series which it is desirable to use in parallel will depend upon the size and capacity o-f the unit, and the size of the tubes used, and is selected so as to give the .desired velocity of oilv in the tubes together .with the desired pressure loss in traversing Ams lto the fifth tier, and thence out through a line 20. Any number of these heating tube tiers may be employed and in any arrangement; but I find it advantageous to send the oil first through five tiers, or thereabouts, in a general lupward direction, that is, in the direction ofthe iiow of the flame gases and then` by-pass the oil to the top tier of a similar assemblage -of tiers, and thence downward through these tiers. As shown, the pipe 20,

leading the heated oil to the top tier, whence it flows downwardly through successive tiers. As shown, there are\ten of these tiers arranged for downward iow. From the last tier in series, oilgoes to exit through pipe 2l. The oil flowing through pipes 21 goes to common collecting main 22. This line- 22 leads to a settling chamber where vapors and liquids are separated and settling takes place.

Adjacent the furnace is located the settling chamber 23 (see Fig. 3) preferably built of sections of steel, suitably heat insulated as shown at 24, and provided with safety valve 25 at the top, leading to a place of disposition of oil vapors (not shown). Line 22 connects to lquieting pipe 26 open at both ends and terminating at its lower end at a point a distance above the bottom of the chamber and below the normal level of the oil therein and at its upper end a distance above the normal level of the oil. The level of the oil may be ascertained from time to time b opening one of the try-cocks 27. Leadingy rom the chamber tower, both heat and heavy vapors vare taken up by this oil. This tower is provided with some sort of packing or film-forming" devices, here shown as a plurality of grates or tiles or the like 30 and with a distributor 31 receiving .incoming replenishing oil from pipe 32 as hereinafter described. Surmounting thetower is reflux condenser 33 which may, as shown, consist of a number'of tubes 34 air cooled interiorly, around which the vapor from the heat-exchanging tower 29 ascends these vapors leaving said'tower at a high point through line 35. Air enters the casing surrounding the tubes through louvre 36. The condensate in the reflux condenser is returned to the tower 2,9 by means of line 37 leading from 'a low point of this condenser to a high point in the tower and to a distributor 38 therein. The condensate delivered to the tower 29 by distributor 38 comes into contact with the vapors/Which have passed the grates x or tiles 30, abstracting further heat and high 'boiling oils therefrom. The condensate from 33and the incoming oil from 32 are stripped -ofL any contained low boiling oils in their downward passage through heat exchanger 29. Vapore leaving reflux condenser 33 go by yl'i-ne 39 past diagrammatically shown pressure release valve 40 to the bottom of la second reflux tower or fractionating tower 41. This tower 41 is similar in construction to tower 29 but not operating under pressure. It is also prov ded with a superimposed air tube :Eractionating condenser 42 similar 130.33. Vapors go from 41 to 42 through line 43 and condensates in 42 are returned to the c0n. denser 41 by line 44 provided with distributor I' 45. Heavy condensates from 41 are sent to the coils 46 in the cooling box through line 48,

. while vapors of lighter bodies pass through vapor line 49 leading from dephlegmator 42 tothe coils 50 in the cooling box 47.

Oil from heat interchanger-29, this oil being both replenishing oil from 32`and condensates from reflux condensed 33, goes to exit chamber by a special drain connection 56 provided with outlet 57 leading to pumps not shown.` Ordinarily, however, I take these drainings through a tar cooler 58.

In the operation of the above apparatus,

in starting, intermediate settling chamber or capacity tank 23 is partly yfilled with oil through 32; filling being to the desired level.

This oil may be gas oil, kerosene, or any other oil which itis desirable to crack. Pump 52 is started into operation, withdrawing oil from this source through line 53 and delivering it by lines y5,5 to and through the various tiers of tubing in the combustion chambers. As stated, there are two setsof these 'y tiers operating in parallel. The oil is heated y and flows back to the settling chamber via line 22, and this operation is continued until the oil in the system is at the cracking and distilling temperature. With gas oil, pres-Y sure in the system may be maintained at about 125 pounds by means of valve 40. When distillation begins and oil vapors under pressure pass into the heat interchanger, a llow of replenishing or raw oil is sent into the system through pipe 32; this oil ,oingthrough the heat interchanger and scru bing the vapors and being heated on its way to pump 52. The hot vapors passing through the heat interchanger are freed to a large extent of'heavy oils and rexcess heat. They ascend through pipe 35 to the reflux condenser 33 where they are further cooled by air passing through the pipes 34 and entering through louvres 36. Any condensate of relatively heavy oils vformed in this reflux condenser Hows back throughv 37 to distributor 38, whence it is sprayed downward through ascending vapors in the heat interchanger. Residual vapors leave through pipe 39, passing valve 40, wheretheir pres.- sure is dropped to atmospheric pressure.

They then ascend through condenser 41.l Any condensate here formed passes through line 48 and is cooled in coils 46 in cooling box Y 47. Llghter oils whose vapors resist con-l densation here ascend through pipe 43 to condenser 42, similar in design to 33. Condensate here formed flows through 44 to distributor 45 and joins the 'condensate in 41.

Residual vapors pass through line 49 to con- 5 denser coil 50 in the cooling box.

As the operation goes on,\the characterv of the oil in the lower part of the settling chamber 23 gradually changes by accumulation of coke particles and tar. From time to timeor continuously, the settlings .are taken out of this chamber through line 56, going while still hot through line 57 to a place of disposition or passing to tar cooler 58 through line 59. Withdrawal is so conducted as to prevent the layer of impure oil reaching the level of exit pipe 53 leading to the circulating system. The residual oil withdrawn with the settlings may be used as stock for re-running and producing more gas oil.

The pressure and temperature to which the oils are exposed in transit through the tubular heating system vary considera ly as explained from point to point along its course; but are higher than those to which the major body of oil is subjected.` The best temperatures and pressures for use in the chamber. containing the major body of oil vary somewhat with the oil treated, being higher with comparativelya low boiling oils, such as kerosene, than with higher boiling oils, such 'as gas oil. With gas oil distilling between 450 and 750 F., I ordinarily employ pressures of the order of about 125 pounds while with kerosene boiling between, say, 380 and 600 iF.,the pressures may advantageously go as high as 250 to 300 pounds. With a gas voil of 30 to 34 B.l I ordinarily adjust conditions so that about 80v per cent of the vapors leaving the major body of oil are returned to it'as reflux, leaving about 20 per cent to go forward to the condensing system.l In so doing, the yields are ordinarily about 40 per cent (on the charged gas oil) of 54 B. naphtha fromthe light worm 50 and about `20 per cent yof naphtha of 40 B. from'the heavy worm 46.

What I claim is u 1. The process of cracking oils which comprises'establishing and maintaining a confined body of oil under heat and pressure, 'withdrawing vapors while under pressure from'such body, releasing the pressure of said vapors and condensing them, replenishing the said confined body of oil by deliver-Y iplg replenishing oil to heating means and t to said body at apoint below the level thereere heating it under pressure and passing it of, while simultaneously permitting vapors from saidvheating meansto mingle directly with the vapors yabove said Yconfined body,

and' withdrawing liquid oil from said confined bodyland mingling it with said incoming replenishing oil in said heating means.

2. The process of treating oil which comprises forcibly circulating the oilI to be cracked through a plurality of heated tubes to heat'it to cracking temperature and under cracking pressure but at a rate preventing fargoing cracking, passing the products of said heating to a confined body of oil under conditions permitting delivery oflgliquidbil below the level of said confined body andj vapors above the surface thereof, passing the so-delivered vapors and vapors arising from the said conned body of oil past pressure releasing means, and condensing said vapors.

3. The process of treating oil which comprises forcibly circulating the oil through a plurality of heated tubes to heat Iit to cracking temperature and. under cracking pressure but at a rate preventing fargoing cracking, passing the products of said heating to a confined body of oil under conditions permitting delivery of liquid oil below the level of said confined body and vapors above the surface thereof, passing the so-delivered vapors and vapors arising from the said confined body of oil past pressure releasing means, condensing said vapors, and withdrawing liquid oil from said confined-body and adding it to theoil undergoing'heating in the plurality of tubes. p

4. The process of treating petroleum oils which comprises forcibly circulating the oil through a plurality of heated tubes lat cracking temperature and under cracking pressure but at a ratel preventing fai-going cracking, passing the products of said heating to a coniined body of oil under conditions permitting delivery of liquid oil below the level of the said body and vapors above the surface thereof, passing substantially all the. said vapors and substantially all the vapors arising from said body of oil in contact with incoming oil to scrub said vapors and heat said incoming oil, passing the incoming oil together with all scrubbed out, matters fromv the said vapors to the said tubes, releasing the pressure of the vapors passing the incoming oil and con-y densing the said vapors.

5. The process of treating oils which comf prises forcibly circulating the oil through a plurality of heated tubes at cracking temperature and under cracking pressure but at a rate preventing fargoing cracking, passing the productsof said heating to a conned body of oil under conditions permittin delivery of liquid oil below the level o .the said body andvapors above the surface thereof, passing the said vapors and vapors arising from said body of oil in contact with incoming oil to scrub said vapors and heat said above the surface thereof, whereb partiall incoming oil, passing the incoming oilitogether with scrubbed out matters from said vvapors to the said tubes, adding to said oil on its way to said tubes a portion of the oil of said conned body, and releasing the and condensing therein.

pressure of the vapors after said scrubbingm 6. The process of cracking petroleum oil l which comprises establishing a confined body of such oil, passing a portion thereof through heating elements' under cracking temperature and pressure but at a rate preventing ,e

fargoing cracking, returning the oil from said heating elements to said body under conthe oill in said heating elements, supplyingv incoming oil to said heating elements in admixture with theoil withdrawn from said confined body, subjecting the vapors from said confined body and any of the vapors passing the confined body from the heating element to reflux condensation, releasing the pressure of vapors from the reflux condensation and adding to the oil supplied to the heating elements liquid oil from the reflux condensation.

7 The process of cracking petroleum oil which comprises establishing and maintaining a large body of petroleum oil under cracking conditions of temperature, withdrawing a portion of said oil and passing it to heating elements, heating the said portion in said heating elements and delivering the liquid products yof said heating bbelow the liquid level of said body while delivering the vapors cracked and uncracked oils are a ded to the said body and whereby` heavy residual oil and carbon will settle towardthe bottom thereof, withdrawing tar and heavy residual oils, and supplying incoming oil to the heating elements in admixture with oil withdrawn from said large body, and meantime passing the vapors from said large body past the incoming oil, releasing the pressure of thejvapors passing the incoming oil and condensing the same.

8. Apparatus for cracking oils comprising a tubular heater, a capacity and quieting chamber, means for connecting the said tubular heater with said/chamber, such means terminating at a low point in said chamber below the level f the oil therein at one end and at' a relatively 4high point in said chamber above the oil therein at the other end, a heat interchanger in communication with said chamber for receiving vapors therefrom, means beyond the heat interchanger for maintaining pressure throughout the heat inter-vv Y changer, the chamber and the tubular heater, means in communication with the heat interchanger for condensing vapors therefrom with the oil which has comprised the said under atmospheric pressure, means for convbody of hot o1l. 'j stantly withdrawing a relatively small por- In testlmony whereof, I have hereunto aftion of the oil lfrom said chamber and fixed myLsignature.

5 forcibly circulating it through said tubular CHARLES B. BUERGER. 70 heater and means for delivering incoming oil v 'y to said tubular heater in admixture with oil p withdrawn from said chamber.

- 9. In 'anoil cracking process in which a body of oil is heated and in which oil from 75 said body is delivered to a separately maintained body of hot oil the step of supplying the oil from the heated body to the separately maintained hot body below? the level Vof said hot body while supplying vapors froln the v go heated oil above the level of said separately maintained hot body of oil.

- 10. The. process of cracking petroleum oil which comprises establishin" and maintaining a vertical column of a ma] or body of such 85 oil under cracking temperature and pressure, continuously removing a minor portion thereof from one point, forcibly circulating the said minor portion through heating means,

delivering the products of the heating to the 90' said major body at least in part at a point. below the point of withdrawal of the minor portion under conditions allowing carbon, tar i and heavy residual oil to settle, withdrawing carbon, tar and heavy residual oil from a f 95 point of saidmaj or body lower than the point of delivering of the said minor portion, partially condensing the vapors from said major body, fmall condensing uncondensed vapors, 3B and supplying to the heating means in admix- ,Y 100 ture with the minor portion of oil withdrawn from the major body replenishing oil which has scrubbed the vapors from the said major body of oil.

1 40 11. The process of treating oil which com- 10a prisesforcibly circulating the oil to be crack- Y ed through a plurality of heated tubes to heat it under pressure to cracking temperature but at a rate to prevent far-going cracking, passv ing the products of said heating to a conned 11o body of oil under conditions permitting delivery of liquid oil below the level of said conned body and vapors above thesurface thereof, removing the so delivered vapors and 50 vaporsari'sing from the said confined body of g 115 oil and condensing said vapors without further contact of Said vaporswith the oil which has comprised said confined body.

12. In: an oil crackingprocess in which a bod of oil is heated and in which oil from `120 sai 'body is delivered toa separately maintained body of hot oil, the step of supplying the oil from the heated body to the separately maintained hot body below the level of said hot body whilel supplying vapors from the y l 1% heated bod above the level of said separately maintaine hot body of oil, removing all vapors from the presence of said body of hot oil, and condensing these vapors under pressure withoutv further contactingvsaid' vapors l 330 

